Weight Maven

Well, well! Look who was on Good Morning America this morning telling people that sugar and grains are poisoning their liver?!

Here’s just a nugget from the text accompanying the video:

Q: Isn’t the word ‘addiction’ a little over the top when it comes to things like baked goods and burgers?

A: Not at all, Oz said. Sugary and fatty foods affect the pathways to the brain in the same way as heroin or cocaine. Sugar acts directly in the brain to inhibit the effect of leptin and increased appetite so you never feel full. So then you keep eating, and you become leptin-resistant, he said. What you need to do is break the addiction by detoxing the liver, which has stopped metabolizing fat properly. Sugar consumption causes fat to build up in liver cells, which decreases the liver’s ability to metabolize fats and sugars and detoxify your body.

Wowie. Since it’s GMA, Dr. Oz’s prescription is pretty lightweight — avoid grains, eat veggies, take some supplements and avoid red meat [ed. the latter probably isn't a problem] — but all in all, I’m pretty impressed to see this reported in the mainstream media.